The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-11-03

L.
hello! Bless my soul, if it amt Neigh
Dor Woodburn himself! And he ain
hanged himself, after alp
For in the midst of it all, a littl,
wicket-gate that led into the vegetab BILE
| garden had swung deliberately open
and Joshua WoOdburn, carving ;
bundle of withered pea-vines in hi.
hand, came leisurely forward, AS alive
as possiblei
Mrs. Bigsbee uttered screech; DR.
Hedges stood still; the squire rubbed
his eyes, and tried in vain to think OF
Scriptural quotation appropriate tc
the occasion.
''Mornin', neighbors -mornin2'r
said old Joshua. ''Pretty torable hot,
amt it, for this time O. yeare"
The neighbors skunk by, feeling as il
they had been detected in some crime.
/ Not until they We're well past the house
did DR.. Hedges turn reproachfully tC
Mrs. BigsDee.
''You told us he'd committedsuicide? ~
snarlcd he.
''Well, look for yourself" pleaded
poor Mrs. Bigsbee. ''Ef that amt 8
man hangin outin the garret winder,
then I'm mistook"
"a man, indeedw savagely uttered
Squire Noting. ''It's suit O. black
clothes, that's what it is! And here
you've been and raised the neighbor-
hood about nothing! I'm astonished
at you, Mrs. Bigsbee"
Mrs. Bigsbee went away in great
wrath and Indignation.
''Any ones liable to be mistook, "
"a
gentleman to speak that way to a
ladyw
Nanny was getting supper ready
that evening, and Uncle Joshua was
standing on a chair in the buttery,
putting some particularly fine Cochin
CHINA eggs into an especial basket to
send to market on the next mornings
carrier-cart, when the door flew open
as if a cannon had exploded on the
other side of it, and the Widow Lea
man bounced breathlessly into the
room, with her rusty Grape vail flying
behind her like meteor, and per-
ceptibie odor of peppermint accom-
panying her footsteps.
''Well, said she, $50 the mean old
misers gone at last!"
Nanny looked up from the bowl OF
currants she was stemming.
''W ho do you mean?" said she.
"Why, Joshua, of courser'
Mrs. Leamau had seated herself on
the nearest chair, united her bonnet
strings, and was now tanning herself
with her pocket-handkerchief
''Gone! Where?" said Nanny.
'.He's dead, amt hep said Mrs. Lea
man.
"MeT uttered bass voice from the
buttery, as Uncle Joshua carefully de-
scended from the chair, and walked
into his cousins presence. Dead?
Not much, | reckon! What was that
you called me, Luella? A mean old
miscr-eh? Well, there's nothin'
like speakin' the plain truth, Cousin
Leamanr"
Mrs. Leaman turned as many cOlors
as the proverbial dying dolphin.
She gave little gasp.
81 never got such turn in my life. ;"
said she bluntly. ''They told me you'd
been and gone and hung youself,
Cousin Joshua.
"Me!" said the old man; chung my.
self? Be | a likely subject for that sort
O. thing"
Nanny began to laugh--a soft
ripping little laugh, that seemed to
bubble out of the very fullness of her
heart.
Il heard the same thing" said she,
''at the factory, Uncle Joshua. 1t seems
old Mrs. Bigsbee saw your best suit
hanging out of the garret-window to
air, and-and she thought that it was
YOU"
Uncle Joshua burst out laughing too.
He could not help it.
mot yet, anyhow" said he. "The
mean old miserS too sensible for that.
You amt going. Cousin Leaman?
Won't ye sit down and take bite OF
supper with usP Do"
But the Widow Leaman excused her.
self
II guess, Nanny" said the old man,
when she and her Grape veil and her
pervading odor of peppermint had
taken themselves off, ''I'll change my
mind about having Luella Leaman
here. l guess you'll do very well fol
a housekeeper, if you'll be Il little more
careful about my best suit of clothes
and the moths"
..Thank you, Uncle Joshua" said
Nanny, reddening like rose; "but-
but I've got situation somewhere else
as housekeeper.
..Eh?" said Uncle Joshua, peering
over the rims of his spectacles.
''Pm gong to marry Mark Dan
FORTH" said the little maid with down
cast eyes.
Uncle Joshua was silent for a second
or two.
Then he took his niece's face between
his two hands and kissed it.
'I'm glad ont" said he, ''even
though l shall miss you. It's grand
thing for girl to get good husband, !,
and you may go to Millville and pick,
out wedding-gown, an hev it charged
to my account. And don't spare nc
expense, because you've deserved it"
And of all the girls in Millville little
Nanny was the happiest that night.
O.